Monthly Archives: December 2013

Experience a wellness retreat like no other at the new Jiva Grande Spa at the Vivanta by Taj in Bekal, Kerala. The resort sprawls across 26 acres along the southwest coast of India with 71 rooms and villas, many with private plunge pools or terraces that overlook the Arabian Sea and the lush tropical grounds.
The resort’s gem is the 165,000-square–foot spa, which capitalizes on the region’s history as the birthplace of Ayurvedic medicine. Guests can choose from an incredibly creative menu that spans everythin…

For Robert Young, whose family has farmed the same acreage in Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley for five generations, one of the highlights of agricultural life was apparently lighting his burn pile—a large heap of dried cuttings that, once ignited, burned all day, leaving only a smoldering expanse of ash. Once the farm became a vineyard property, now known as the Robert Young Estate Winery, the patch of land that provided the mise-en-scène for Young’s bonfires proved so conducive to growing Cabernet Sauvignon …

The French luxury-goods house Hermès, with roots as a saddlemaker that date back more than century, is applying its leather craft to a set of carbon-fiber bicycles. Released this month in select boutiques, le Flâneur d’Hermès Leisure ($10,400) is lightweight and durable and has eight gears. The frame was hand-built in the Time bicycle factory near Lyon, France, and comes in charcoal, ivory, or red; leather accents appear at the handlebar grips, seat, and carry handles. Hermès plans to unveil a made-to-order pe…

Boating and yachting enthusiasts from around the world descended on Fort Lauderdale last month for the 54th Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, the largest in-water boat show in the world. This year’s show saw some 100,000 guests over five days, which is the highest turnout since 2006. More than 1,000 boats were on display across more than 3 million square feet of exhibit space in the water and on land. Visitors to the show enjoyed perfect weather—not a hurricane in sight—and, outside the boat show, a bur…

Just in time for the harsh Northeastern winter, the Irvine, Calif.–based charter provider JetSuite has expanded its service to include nonstop routes to the Caribbean. Departing from the East Coast, JetSuite clients now have direct access to St. Maarten, Anguilla, Turks and Caicos, and the Bahamas aboard the Cessna Citation CJ3 jets in JetSuite’s wholly owned fleet.
JetSuite—which also recently announced that all of its aircraft now offer in-flight Wi-Fi access—offers pricing options that include various leve…

Condos at One Riverside Park—the latest tower in Extell Development Co.’s Upper West Side cluster of modern residences that includes Trump Place—went on the market last month (occupancy is slated for 2015). The 33-story building was designed by Goldstein Hill & West Architects and features interiors by SoHo-based architect and interior designer Shamir Shah, who used his home country of Kenya as inspiration. A palette of earth tones brings a sense of warmth to the contemporary glass and limestone architectu…

For the first time, Roger Dubuis has created its Tourbillon Skeleton timepiece in a 42 mm case. Roughly 35 percent slimmer than previous models and lighter in weight, the exposed skeletal design is a showcase for the watch manufacturer’s RD505SQ movement—an intricate flying tourbillon composed of 165 parts. The Excalibur 42 Skeleton Tourbillon ($164,500) features a more refined iteration of the signature fluted bezel and triple lugs that the Excalibur line is known for, and it is available in pink or whit…

Century-old furniture and interior design studio Poltrona Frau collaborated with the Audi Concept Design Studio and the Volkswagen Group’s design director, Walter de Silva, to create Luft, an armchair that debuted at Poltrona’s Milan location in late November. Luft—German for “air”—was created to provide ergonomically sound comfort while maintaining a refined yet relaxed aesthetic. Luft’s curved armrests are intended to evoke the outline of a bird’s wings in flight, while its die-cast aluminum feet reference t…

This month, contemporary furniture manufacturer Mash Studios has added a pop of color and texture to its minimalistic, natural wooden pieces, replacing its characteristic white aluminum accents with a selection of metallic finishes. Both the brand’s LAX and PCH collections—named after the Los Angeles airport and the city’s coastal highway—feature designs that have undergone the subtle transformation. The LAX entertainment shelf and 3X shelf, the latter of which comes in a wall-mounted or floor option, are avai…

If anyone is still clinging to the notion that Berluti makes only leather goods—albeit luxuriously handcrafted ones—the label’s new Paris flagship on the rue de Sèvres will leave no doubt that it is a full-fledged fashion house. The 4,700-square-foot store is now Berluti’s largest, and it shows off the extent of the brand’s savoir-faire in a luxurious environment complete with leather-adorned walls and antique furnishings.
The ground floor displays a vast range of the shoes that first built Berluti’s reputati…